Here at Bird Aware Essex Coast the Rangers love meeting you and your fluffy family, we always look forward to being greeted with lots of wagging tails, sniffs and nudges to throw a ball or two. As dog owners ourselves, we appreciate the importance of time spent well walking our companions. With that said, the team at Bird Aware have discussed the top five things you can do to upgrade your dog walk.
You also can have your say by taking part in our new dog walking survey. This survey is designed to inform us on how we can best represent and support dog walkers. Dog walkers are among the most frequent visitors to the coast, and your perspectives are essential in helping shape future engagement, guidance and practical initiatives to support all, allowing both dogs and wildlife to thrive. Have your say by clicking the link Bird Aware Essex Coast – Dog Walking Survey or scanning the QR code.
Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Dog Walk:
1. Let Go of Distractions
By reducing screen time it creates space to practice mindfulness and enjoy the present moment. You can do this by engaging with your senses – Ask yourself, what can I see, hear and smell? That’s a good place to start. Letting go of distractions also means giving your dog full attention. Dogs rely on social cues from their owner to feel reassured, when this is absent, your dog can be left feeling disconnected and therefore weakening your bond. You will likely see an instant shift in your dog’s energy as soon as you focus your attention to your four-legged friend.
2. Add Quick Training Session’s to Your Dog Walk
Training sessions can add huge value to a dog walk. Practicing basic commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ followed by praise and rewards, encourages positive behaviour and strengthens trust. This can be practiced on a lead or alongside if recall is responsive.
3. Appreciate Wildlife from a Distance
The coast is a fantastic destination to embrace wildlife and is often connected with other nearby habitats such as saltmarshes, mudflats, reedbeds, open grasslands and even woodlands. Each habitat is home to its own ecosystem which lots of creatures call home. To maintain this biodiversity, it’s important that we value our wild neighbours with minimal disturbance. Adopting a quiet and peaceful presence allows you to blend into nature itself, resulting in better sightings. Investing in a pair of lightweight binoculars is another way to elevate your experience, giving you that close up view from a safe distance.
4. Pick and Paws
During your dog walk, pause and pick a moment to observe your dog’s behaviour. By building a behavioural baseline, you acknowledge what is usual behaviour for your dog and what is not. Think about body language, for example, positioning of the head, ears and tail can indicate how your dog is feeling. Is your dog engaging with its surroundings? Does your dog appear tense or distracted? By asking these questions, you are more likely to recognise patterns in behaviour and foster meaningful dog walks.
5. Harnessing the Perks of Technology
New advancements in technology can help you explore your surroundings during your dog walk. Wildlife identification apps are a great starting point, with a favourite of mine being Merlin Bird ID. This app will listen and record birds within the area, then suggest a best match for the song or call given. This reminds us how easy it is to connect with nature and provides an opportunity for us to learn.
Next time you’re on a dog walk, be sure to add one of these recommendations to your routine and make note of how it improved your dog walking experience. We look forward to hearing your views in our dog survey and for more dog blogs, click here.
– Jodie